DOT wants to cut quarantine period of fully-vaccinated balikbayans, OFWs to 7 days

In a bid to restart tourism-related economic activities, Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat proposed cutting the quarantine period of balikbayan and overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) from 10 days to seven days.

Puyat in an ANC interview said the proposal for this “green lane” was already brought up with the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) and will be discussed with health experts in the following days.

She said balikbayans or Filipinos returning home for vacation, is the third largest market for Philippine tourism. However, they are discouraged to go back to the country due to the required 10-day quarantine period.

“The protocols for the fully vaccinated and the non-vaccinated is the same. So we proposed to the IATF if it is possible to have a different protocol for the fully vaccinated individuals,” she said.

Romulo-Puyat cited Thailand as an example where she said the quarantine period of those who are fully vaccinated was cut from 10 days to seven days.

“The point is, we have to start somewhere. It is like a test. If the DOH allows to reduce it to seven days, at least it is not 10 days. We can encourage more people to come. Just to test (this strategy) at least and it is not like we are the first (country to do this) but this will be discussed with the DOH,” she said.

The proposal for the “green lane” was first announced by the DOT last Friday.

In a statement, the DOT said the “green lane” will also facilitate the entry of foreign visitors who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, as part of the national government’s effort to reopen the economy.

Tourism Undersecretary Benito Bengzon said foreign tourism revenues in 2020 plunged to about P82 billion from P482 billion in 2019. —KG, GMA News